A 23-year-old gunman opened fire through stained glass windows during a back-to-school Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis. The attack left two children dead, 17 others injured, and a community reeling. The suspect died by suicide at the scene. While authorities and families focus on mourning and recovery, parts of the internet have erupted with misinformation. Some commentators rushed to frame the tragedy as proof of a transgender “violence epidemic.” That narrative is not only false but also a deliberate distortion that ignores the evidence left behind in the shooter’s disturbing videos and handwritten manifesto.
The Attack
Authorities identified the suspect as Robin Westman, 23, who returned to their former grade school armed with a rifle, shotgun, and handgun. Investigators confirmed the firearms were purchased legally in recent weeks. Westman opened fire during a student-attended Mass, striking 14 children and three parishioners, killing two of the children before turning a weapon on themselves.
Local, state, and federal officials continue to investigate motive, with the FBI treating the case as a potential hate crime and act of domestic terrorism. Governor Tim Walz ordered flags lowered across Minnesota, and hundreds gathered at vigils outside the church Wednesday night. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey urged compassion for the victims and condemned attempts to politicize the shooter’s gender identity: “Anybody who is using this as an opportunity to villainize our trans community has lost their sense of common humanity.”
The Manifesto and Videos
Westman left behind an unsettling manifesto and multiple prerecorded videos uploaded to YouTube before the shooting. These materials point toward obsession, hatred, and psychological distress rather than any coherent political message tied to gender identity.
In the footage, Westman:
- Flipped through a handwritten manifesto filled with praise for previous mass shooters, violent fantasies, racist and antisemitic comments, and anti-Christian rants.
- Showed weapons marked with chilling phrases such as “for the children,” “kill Donald Trump,” and “6 million wasn’t enough,” suggesting the attack was driven by a mix of nihilism, hate, and attention-seeking.
- Explicitly denied political motives, writing, “I don’t want to do it to spread a message. I do it to please myself. I do it because I am sick.”
The manifesto also described suicidal ideation, delusions of grandeur, and a calculated plan to strike his former school. Westman selected Annunciation specifically because of past ties, referred to children as “powerless,” and expressed a fascination with being remembered as a “monster.”
This profile fits patterns more often seen in mass shootings: obsession with previous perpetrators, untreated mental illness, radicalization through online communities, and a desire for notoriety. It does not fit the narrative some political voices are now promoting.
Conservative Backlash and Data Distortion
Despite clear evidence of personal torment and extremist ideology, prominent conservatives quickly zeroed in on reports that Westman was transgender. Within hours, social media posts and pundit commentary framed the attack as part of a broader “trend” of violence by trans people.
The claim falls apart under scrutiny. Reliable data shows mass shootings in the United States are overwhelmingly carried out by cisgender men.
- The Violence Project, which tracks mass public shootings since 1966, notes that the 2023 Nashville school shooting was the first case in its database involving a transgender perpetrator. In nearly 60 years of data, such cases are almost nonexistent.
- Gun Violence Archive (GVA) data, which uses a broader definition of mass shootings (four or more people shot or injured), shows that non-cisgender suspects account for about 0.11 percent of incidents since 2016. Out of thousands of shootings, the number of trans suspects is in the single digits.
- The FBI’s review of active shooter incidents from 2000 to 2019 recorded 332 male perpetrators and 13 female, underscoring how mass violence in America is overwhelmingly perpetrated by cisgender men.
To portray transgender people as a driving force behind U.S. mass shootings is statistical manipulation. Cherry-picked anecdotes, amplified through partisan media, create the illusion of a trend where none exists.
The Real Issues Exposed
The shooter’s writings and actions point to deeper problems:
- Untreated mental health struggles. Westman openly wrote about long-term fantasies of violence and self-destruction.
- Radicalization through hate. The manifesto included antisemitic, racist, and anti-Christian statements, alongside admiration for previous killers.
- Gun accessibility. Despite these disturbing tendencies, Westman was able to legally purchase multiple firearms in the weeks before the shooting.
These are the factors investigators and experts highlight as warning signs. Yet political discourse quickly shifted to scapegoating transgender people, an approach that both ignores reality and increases stigma toward an already marginalized community.
Mourning, Healing, and Moving Forward
At Annunciation, grief has overwhelmed political noise. Families are preparing funerals. Survivors face lifelong trauma. Local parishes and community groups are organizing counseling, vigils, and financial support for victims.
City leaders continue to call for empathy and restraint. “We should be centering the victims and the community right now,” said a city update, emphasizing that speculation about motives remains premature. Investigators are still reviewing writings, social media activity, and purchase records.
The Bottom Line
The Annunciation School shooting was not about transgender identity. It was about an individual consumed by hatred, obsession, and despair. The manifesto reveals a shooter motivated by personal demons and violent fantasies, not gender politics.
Transgender people make up a tiny fraction of the population and an even smaller fraction of mass shooting suspects. Suggesting otherwise is not only dishonest but dangerous. Every time misinformation spreads, transgender communities face increased hostility and risk.
The facts demand a different focus: better mental health access, stronger community support, and serious conversations about gun safety. The children killed and families shattered by this tragedy deserve respect, not propaganda.
